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Snapfinger lets you order food using your iPhone, may spell the end of waiters
It's sure taken long enough, but it seems like computer-assisted ordering of food is FINALLY upon us! Not only can you order take-out food with your iPhone, but one restaurant chain is looking to fire its waitresses and replace them with an iPad on the dinner table.The NY Times story details the quick rise of Kudzu Interactive and its Snapfinger software [iTunes Link]. Basically, Snapfinger interfaces with thousands of restaurants in the United States and Canada to bring real-time menus and pricing to your iPhone.
The app also up-sells for you, prompting you to buy a side portion of rice or salad or 'slaw -- and as a result, Snapfinger orders are 15% larger than regular take-out orders! Convenience wins, as always.
But the kicker (for the serving staff at least...), is that one restaurant chain plans to replace menus with iPads running the Snapfinger software. You could all but do away with waiters and waitresses!
Service charges be damned! I wonder if they'll protect the iPads with some kind of silicone cover...
Comments
6
Subscribe to commentsdm3ntdMay 31st 2010 9:55AM
I can't see how this would replace waiters/waitresses completely...
Who would bring you your food? Who would refill your drink?
stinlen56May 31st 2010 4:43PM
Robots, obviously...
laeroMay 31st 2010 5:17PM
And as always, we'll never see it on the other side of the Atlantic :(
Sebastian AnthonyMay 31st 2010 5:19PM
I was actually in the process of developing a similar product about 5 years ago... in Europe! But I shelved it, because the friend I was working with had to do something else.
I'm sure we'll see it in the EU eventually!
PonTelonJun 1st 2010 2:24AM
My college campus has been using touch-screen monitors to take orders for a couple years now.
Really, it's not a bad idea. I do wonder if they still pay their servers less expecting tips.
HagueJun 1st 2010 3:01AM
Because ordering food has been such a problem for so long...